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Though it’s Fiji’s second-largest island, Vanua Levu (Big Island) is one of the tropics’ best-kept secrets. It’s another world from the bustle of Viti Levu and the more-touristed islands: many roads are little more than rutted dirt tracks, and Labasa, the island’s largest ‘city’, is a one-street strip of shops. To the south, Savusavu entices yachties, divers and dreamers looking for a tropical idyll. The rest of ‘Big Island’ is given over to sugarcane and copra plantations, hideaway villages, mountain passes streaming with waterfalls, endless swaths of forest and an ever-changing coastline forgotten by the world. Take it slow, keep a smile on your face and savour rural Fiji on its grandest scale.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Vanua Levu.
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Those vents of steam you see along the water’s edge are evidence of the volcanic activity that simmers below Savusavu's surface. The main springs are just down from the aptly named Hot Springs Hotel. They are literally boiling: locals come to cook food in them. You’ll scald yourself if you touch them. The Savusavu Medical Centre next door has three therapeutic spa baths (40°C), and welcomes visitors. No appointment necessary.
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Take a guided tour through these gorgeous gardens, home to 300 types of palms and countless tropical flowers and fruit trees. Birds and butterflies love it here just as much as visitors, who are rewarded with stunning views over Savusavu Bay at the end of the timber boardwalk. It's about 5km out of town.
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Protected 70sqkm park housing corals so vibrant and marine life so plentiful that it’s become the poster child for Fiji’s underwater world. It's about a two-hour boat ride from Savusavu.
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